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The new platform will work on devices running 7.0 Nougat and above, and Google plans to reach 100 million phones by the end of the preview.

Google has introduced a new software development kit called ARCore, which will bring new augmented reality capabilities to Android smartphones.

Although Google already had an AR platform: Tango, released in 2014, with ARCore it aims to expand its reach to existing and new Android devices, because the new software does not require additional hardware.

The new platform will work on devices running 7.0 Nougat and above, and Google plans to reach 100 million phones by the end of the preview.

“ARCore will run on millions of devices, starting today with the Pixel and Samsung’s S8, running 7.0 Nougat and above (…). We’re working with manufacturers like Samsung, Huawei, LG, ASUS and others to make this possible with a consistent bar for quality and high performance,” informed the company on a blog post.

ARCore will focus on three things:

Motion tracking: Using the phone’s camera, ARCore determines both the position and orientation (pose) of the phone as it moves. Virtual objects remain accurately placed.

Environmental understanding: ARCore can detect horizontal surfaces using the same feature it uses for motion tracking.

Light estimation: ARCore observes the ambient light in the environment and makes it possible for developers to light virtual objects in ways that match their surroundings.